Beauty
By Myrto Zapandioti
They pulled out your horns, your claws, your fangs
They carved them into necklaces and wrapped them around your neck
You’re finally beautiful; watery eyes and bloody gums
But you smile
You smile because you were ordered to
You smile because your life depends on it
Your teeth holding back the blood in your mouth
Your teeth holding back your pain
You open your mouth and the blood comes gashing out
But your blood is not beautiful
So you never open your mouth again
You never speak, you never think
You just smile
The others look down on you now
They have sharp claws, like the ones you had before they took them away from you
Now you have become weak
You have become their target
As their claws are piercing your soft skin
You are being told to smile once more
Because your screams aren’t pretty
Neither is your blood because your blood is yours
And you are not beautiful; only your pain is.